The first frame of the animation shows where the bird can find a suitable climate today (based on data from 2000). The next three frames predict where this bird’s suitable climate may shift in the future—one frame each for 2020, 2050, and 2080.

This species replaces the closely related Purple Finch in coniferous forests of the mountains of the interior west. It has a slightly crested look to the head and more delicate patterning overall. Since it is a bird of higher elevations, climate change is due to have a profoundly negative impact on it. Audubon's climate model projects that only 23 percent of the current summer range is stable, and the total amount of suitable climate space is anticipated to contract by 70 percent. It’s a similar situation in winter, with a 61-percent decrease in total available climate space and 67 percent of the current range becoming unsuitable. If the model’s projections hold true, Cassin’s Finch will become a scarce and local bird by 2080.

Species Range Change from 2000 to 2080

The size of the circles roughly indicates the species’ range size in 2000 (left) and 2080 (right).

The amount of overlap between the 2000 circle and the 2080 circle indicates how stable the range will be geographically. Lots of overlap means the bird’s range doesn’t shift much. No overlap means the species will leave its current range entirely.